Factors influencing the use of mobile technologies in a university environment: A case from Latin America

Abstract

The use of mobile technologies in higher education seem to be lagging those in other service sectors, which have been quick to utilize the advantages that mobile communications have to offer. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study analyzes the range factors and the level of influence on undergraduate intention to use a proposed mobile technology information service on the campus of a Peruvian university. The results, derived from factor analysis and regression, support the TAM showing that Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use are the principal factors influencing the intention to use the proposed service, with the external factors of mobility and social influence ranking as the next important. These results lead to the conclusion that the awareness of the attributes which the student's value and their social contexts are significant factors to ensure student uptake and use when designing and introducing student focused mobile services. Copyright © 2013, IGI Global.